East Lincoln football preview: After season of change, Mustangs hope to extend success

Thursday

Aug 10, 2017 at 7:42 PMAug 10, 2017 at 7:42 PM

By David Keever/Lincoln Times-Newssports@gastongazette.com

It would be hard to find a 2A team in western North Carolina that lost more from one season to the next as the East Lincoln Mustangs did. And it all begins with a coaching change.

Gone is Mike Byus. The winningest coach in school history, Byus retired at the end of the school year and took the head coaching job at Parkersburg High School in West Virginia. In 12 seasons with the Mustangs, he won 78 percent of his games (134-37) and was 29-10 in the playoffs, including a pair of 16-0 state championship teams.

But new head coach David Lubowicz is no stranger to the winning tradition that the East Lincoln football program has built. The new man in charge came to East Lincoln from California, and has served as the Mustangs defensive coordinator for the last 10 seasons.

East Lincoln, like some other teams in the new South Fork 2A conference, lost about 90 percent of their offense from the 2016 season. Leading receiver Cameron Dollar, now at Charlotte, caught 55 passes for 1,216 yards and 14 touchdowns last year, more than the rest of the team combined.

Trevor Childers, who ran for 1,003 yards and 18 scores is now at Western Carolina and quarterback Marcus Graham decided to leave East Lincoln at the end of the 2016 school year. The Mustangs also lost Eli Smith, Dalton Saleron and Nate Cureton, all of which will be playing at the college level this fall.

But none of that seems to have fazed Lubowicz and the Mustang coaching staff. Maybe that’s because there is some talent returning. Army commit Ryan Matz returns at defensive end and tight end, and seniors Devan Rigdon and Gage Welborn will also bring experience to both the offensive and defensive lines, which will be the strength of the team. Chandler Jones returns at running back after running for 470 yards and 5 touchdowns as a junior.

And East Lincoln has a winning mentality. The Mustangs have had double digit wins in eight of the last eleven seasons. “Tradition is going to be big,” said Lubowicz. “Instilling winning in them (players) is going to help.”

Lubowicz is counting on other players to take on bigger roles. Senior Christian Parks is back at wide receiver and safety after an injury last year during the Lincolnton game caused him to not only miss the remainder of the football season, but the entire basketball season as well.

Junior Peyton Pesavento brings experience at receiver, and Jourdan Baxley, a transfer from Virginia, will help at the running back position. Lubowicz thinks that Gabe Duncan (DB), Jud Reel (LB) and Baxley (DE) will shine on defense.

“To win, we have to play well up front,” Lubowicz said. “We have one of the biggest lines that we’ve ever had here.”

The only negative on either line is the lack of depth. East Lincoln can not afford injuries up front on the offensive or defensive side.

The progression of new varsity quarterback Chase Jones will also be key to the Mustangs win total. Jones has taken just a handful of varsity snaps.

“Our quarterback must mature quickly,” said Lubowicz. “There is a lot to learn mentally to play the position.He has to be comfortable.”

East Lincoln finished 11-3 last season, falling to Monroe in the third round of the 2AA state playoffs. The team should get a good gauge on where they stand early in 2017, when they open the season with Forestview and Ashbrook.

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